Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

Back home gathering on towering skyscrapers is not something I am accustomed to. But while living in a bustling country like South Korea it is an activity I have come to love, and a weekend I look forward to. Rooftop gatherings can include relaxing sun bathing days, mini-pool excursions, fun parties, chilled dinners, and breathtaking night time views.

After a day of dancing our way around Incheon (See Part One for the full story!), we'd completed our final flash mob performance at Munhak Stadium and collected our tickets for the big concert: Incheon Korean Music Wave 2013. The line-up of 20 of K-pop's best awaited us inside the stadium: 2AM, A-JAX, B.A.P, BTOB, EXO, F.T. Island, miss A, ZE:A, Girl's Day, BTS, B2ST, Boyfriend, Girls' Generation, Super Junior, SECRET, SISTAR, MBLAQ, KARA, T-ara, and TEEN TOP. It was quite an evening...

Sometimes in life, and especially while living in Korea, you just have to go along for the ride. In my experience, agreeing to a crazy adventure or event typically seems to work out in my favor, giving me a crazy story at the very least. So, on September 1st, bleary-eyed and semi-apprehensive, my friend and I woke up early so we could catch a cab to the Chinatown area of Incheon. We knew very little of what the day would entail, but the promises of "flash mob" and "free tickets to a K-pop concert" were enough for us to jump right in, hoping the day would exceed our (admittedly low and/or vague) expectations. And boy did it...

This past weekend, I was excited to be able to cross another destination off my ever growing Korea Bucket List: Namiseom. This gorgeous, half moon shaped island has always looked appealing with its famous tree-lined paths and photogenic surroundings, so some fellow English teachers and I took full advantage of its proximity to Seoul and took an excellent day trip to the island!

One of the things I found myself wondering about when I moved to Korea to teach English is what the holidays would be like. Granted holidays can range from the big boys like Christmas, to the ones we celebrate just for the excuse to party (hump day anyone?). Lucky for me and you, Koreans LOVE to party, so most holidays here are celebrated and always a fun time. This past weekend we ventured into Seoul, Gangnam to be exact, for Tomatillo’s Annual Cinco de Mayo party. It was definitely one of my favorite days in Korea and I know that for as long as I stay here, this is where I’ll celebrate Mexican independence.

I'm all about the music. I am up for any concert, just ask. With only a month and a bit before I leave (tear tear), lately I've been reminicing about all I've managed to experience while teaching and livng in Korea (Are you ready?). I am amazed at how much I have done in such a short amount of time, especially when I think about all the concerts I've attended. It seems like ages ago, but at this time last year I was preparing to witness Lady Gaga's first and very controvercial world tour stop in Seoul. A short while later I joined happy-go-lucky young Koreans lounging on Nami Island for the annual Rainbow Island Festival with Jason Mraz as the headliner.

One of the most surprising perks to teaching English in Korea is how much free time I have. A huge advantage for choosing to work for Chungdahm is that they follow a strict set of curriculum. That means that while all of my public school friends are scrambling on a Sunday night to figure out what their lesson plan will be for Monday morning, I know that as long as I am at work by 3 pm, I will be more than ready for a full day of classes. As a result of my abundance of free time, here are my top 5 work week activities.

Jason Mraz was in Korea for about a week and he knows way more Korean than me. Watching him make small talk with the Korean audience between songs at last month's Rainbow Island Festival on Nami Island (Namiseom) was just the motivation I needed to kick my butt into gear and learn Korean while I'm here teaching English.